Vacasa
Evolving from bootstrapped startup to a household brand.
Vacasa’s first logo was conceived at the CEO’s kitchen table when Vacasa was just a small, bootstrapped startup. A decade later, the company needed to refresh its brand to align with its market position in preparation for Series B funding.
As Head of Brand at Vacasa, I spearheaded a transformative brand refresh, steering the company from its initial kitchen table logo to a dynamic, purpose-driven identity, that aligned with its commercial and strategic goals.
At the helm of a multidisciplinary team with capabilities in PR, Communications, Design, UX/UI, Content and Research, I was responsible for both championing the customer experience, and facilitating strategic alignment at the executive level within the organization.
Drawing on both qualitative and qualitative customer insights, stakeholder interviews, and inputs from multiple workshops with the executive leadership team, I clarified the company’s vision, mission, promise and values.
The resulting Brand Platform became our North star, informing and guiding all subsequent creative decisions for the brand.
Functioning as both internal Creative Director and agency liaison, I led the comprehensive brand refresh, in partnership with Studio Mega.
This encompassed an entirely new Visual Identity system, redesigning vacasa.com, and developing a set of design principles and brand attributes that would extend to the flagship office design, assets for the company’s extensive rental portfolio, brand merchandise, and marketing collateral.
The refreshed identity reflected Vacasa's evolution from a local brand, to the leading vacation rental company in the US. The logo symbolizes Vacasa's foundational support for guests, homeowners, partners, and employees.
The expanded identity system communicates communicate the brand’s of openness, warmth, and human connection, and positions the company as more than a management service—by emphasizing personalized narratives and the moments that make a Vacasa experience unforgettable.
I also worked closely with product and business stakeholders to guide a comprehensive refresh of vacasa.com, including a flexible, modern CMS framework with responsive UI components, and UX/UI pattern libraries.
This brand evolution positioned Vacasa successfully raise 103M–the largest series B raise in Oregon’s history–and it’s subsequent IPO.